Shloka 52

Hiḍimba’s Approach and Hiḍimbā’s Warning to Bhīmasena (हिडिम्बागमनम् / हिडिम्बा-भयवचनम्)

Devanagari script

पुत्र: सखा वा भ्राता वा पिता वा यदि वा गुरु: । रिपुस्थानेषु वर्तन्तो हन्तव्या भूतिमिच्छता,पुत्र, मित्र, भाई, पिता अथवा गुरु--कोई भी क्‍यों न हो, जो शत्रुके स्थानपर आ जायाँ --शत्रुवत्‌ बर्ताव करने लगें, तो उन्हें वैभव चाहनेवाला राजा अवश्य मार डाले

Transliteration

putraḥ sakhā vā bhrātā vā pitā vā yadi vā guruḥ | ripusthāneṣu vartanto hantavyā bhūtim icchatā ||

Translation

కుమారుడైనా, మిత్రుడైనా, సోదరుడైనా, తండ్రైనా, గురువైనా—ఎవరైనా సరే; శత్రువు స్థానంలో నిలిచి శత్రువులా ప్రవర్తిస్తే, ఐశ్వర్యాన్ని కోరే రాజు అతనిని తప్పక సంహరించాలి.

Word by Word

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सखा: friend
• सखा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• गुरुः: teacher/elder
• गुरुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रिपुस्थानेषु: in the positions/places of an enemy
• रिपुस्थानेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रिपुस्थान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• वर्तन्तः: behaving/acting (being engaged)
• वर्तन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, शतृ (present active participle)

• हन्तव्याः: to be slain / must be killed
• हन्तव्याः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, तव्यत् (gerundive/obligative passive)

• भूतिम्: prosperity, power, wealth
• भूतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छता: by one desiring
• इच्छता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

Speaker

कणिक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇika
• son
• friend
• brother
• father
• guru (teacher/preceptor)
• king (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a hard-edged principle of rāja-nīti: loyalty to the stability and prosperity of the kingdom overrides personal relationships; anyone who effectively becomes an enemy is to be treated as such, even if they are close kin or a revered teacher.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇika is giving strategic counsel, urging a ruler to prioritize state security and royal fortune. He frames the king’s duty in terms of eliminating threats without being restrained by familial or social bonds when those bonds turn adversarial.